Archives October 2013

By Matthew O'Mara
You’re blindfolded, about 9-years-old, and being wheeled onto the studio floor of a mysterious game show.
The producers interviewed you and you had a chance to ask them a few questions, but you left knowing that this is, ‘The best game show ever made.’
With that in your...

By MATTHEW O’MARA
Hatsumi – One Grandmother’s Journey Through the Japanese Canadian Internment is a finalist in the Welfare Education Category for NHK’s 40th Japan Prize.
Hatsumi is a powerful film and now it is competing against an Oscar winner for the top spot. No one was more surprised...

By Ailin Oishi-Stamatiou
With the recent advances of technology in greenhouse farming, refrigeration and freezing, food processing and transportation networks, most produce is conveniently available year round.
However, vegetables, fruits, and fish harvested when ripe and at their peak and consumed...

By Kaori Fujishima
Contemporary Japanese Literature is changing every day.
Monkey Business is the only English literary journal that publishes contemporary Japanese Literature. The publication is edited by professor Ted Goossen who specialize in Modern and Contemporary Japanese Literature at the York...

By Kaori Fujishima, Riku Kaneko, and Shoko Uchiyama
Being in Toronto for the first time can be a little overwhelming.
It's a city not quite as big as New York or Tokyo, but it's one with a variety of places to explore and find while you are here. It's also easy to get lost.
Here's a list of a few places...

By Matthew O'Mara
If you've ever wanted to get up close and personal with some of Honda's fastest racing cars, here's your chance.
Following Lamborghini's steps in opening their collections to Google Street View, Honda has allowed Google cameras inside of its museum to give virtual visitors a tour,...

By Cassandra Kobayashi
A friend and I dined at Aotoya on a recent Friday night, delighted that it is matsutake (pine mushroom) season. The tri-fold menu has many photos to help diners select, supplemented with numerous handwritten signs on the walls and counter in English and Japanese featuring current...

By RIKU KANEKO
At Otakuthon in Montreal, amid the costumes and cosplay, a whole different kind of fashion was seen on stage.
Liisa Savinov-Mountain is the top model at The Kimono Show held at the anime convention, and we had a chance to speak with her about the challenges of modeling.
Originally...

By Shoko Uchiyama
Guitar Wolf’s front man, Seiji, ran up on stage. He looked out onto the crowd as a short introduction played and then zapped the crowd with his guitar’s first note.
An electric current ran through the audience as they launched into their first songs straight from the band’s...

By Matthew O'Mara
For months, I saved up my nickles, pennies, quarters, and dimes to buy a Game Boy Colour.
As an 8-years-old, my entire being was consumed by the mere thought of owning one of those little handheld consoles. What was more important to me, however, was the game it would allow me to play.
Pokémon...